A weekly guest blog written by GateHouse newsroom editors designed to provide insight into today's topics and issues facing the journalism profession.

6 things to know about hiring for GateHouse Media's Design Houses

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By David Arkin

In Their Words is a weekly guest blog written by GateHouse newsroom editors. It is designed to provide insight into today's topics and issues facing the journalism profession and to add context as they relate to newsrooms. The authors will share
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In Their Words is a weekly guest blog written by GateHouse newsroom editors. It is designed to provide insight into today's topics and issues facing the journalism profession and to add context as they relate to newsrooms. The authors will share valuable best practices, content opportunities and advice on the many challenges facing our industry.

This week, GateHouse Media rolled out a jobs site that will be used as a tool for recruiting dozens and dozens of journalists for the company's two Design Houses.

GateHouse plans on creating two Design Houses, one in Framigham, Mass., and the other in Rockford, Ill., where all of the company's design and editing will be based out of.

Here are a few questions and answers about the Design Houses:

1. If I apply for a job, how soon will I be interviewed? If either of our Design House directors are interested in pressing a conversation with an applicant, they will do so within a few weeks after receiving the resume.

2. How soon will you be hiring? The first sites — at both Design Houses — will start to launch in June, so that's the earliest that copy editors/designers would be hired. However, offers will be extended before that point. Hiring will continue throughout the year.

3. How long will it take for each Design House to be built out? The Design House in Rockford will be fully launched by the end of September and the one in Framingham will be fully launched by the end of December.

4. What are the skill sets you are looking for? Those who work at the Design House need to have both design and copy editing skills. We're looking for journalists who have past experience with web publishing as well, as individuals who work on the desk, will publish some content to the web. We're looking for the industry's most talented and skilled designers and editors.

5. Will you be advertising in other places? Yes, we'll be advertising on Linked In, Journalismjobs.com and press association sites, in the next few days.

6. Are you hiring management positions as well? Yes. If you have experience managing talented copy and design desks, you're encouraged to apply. We'll be hiring management positions at both centers.